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The African-American fabric is woven with many threads. There is no one episode or event that defines the history of a people, but it is rather a mixture of all the parts that make up the whole.

As the first man of color from Quincy to play professional football, Mack Lee Hill put the city's name in front of national television audiences on many Sunday afternoons. As a running back, Hill compiled an impressive record in the two years he played the sport before his life was cut short.

• First Baptist Church in Quincy holds Sunday School each week at 9:45 a.m., followed by worship at 10:55. Sunday evening worship begins at 6 p.m. Sunday morning worship services are broadcast on Sunday events at 6 p.m. on 93.3 FM.

The church has scheduled a Lay Renewal Weekend for Feb. 27 - March 1. All groups will be led by a christian lay team from across north Florida. For more information, call the church office at 627-9688.

"Parade the Musical" opens tonight at the Leaf Theater at 8 p.m., a production of the Quincy Music Theatre.

The production is based on a true story and is directed by Eric Hurst, with musical direction by Bryan Richards. Lead actors are Anthony Methvin and Rachael Adams.

"Parade" is based on the actual case of Leo Frank, who is falsely accused of killing 13-year-old Mary Phagan in Atlanta in 1913. The play, written by Alfred Uhry, opened on Broadway in 1998 where it garnered a Tony Award for Best Original Score.

Teen Court will be held Feb. 17, March 3, 17 and 31, April 14 and 28, May 12 and 26, and June 9 and 23. The Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office Teen Court program offers youthful offenders an alternative to prosecution through the juvenile justice system. The program meets on the above dates from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Courthouse Annex. For more information, contact Tiffany Parsons-Braswell at 875-7596.

It started out as an effort to help students in grades six through 12 prepare for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. It turned into an all-out effort to not only help students of all ages get ready for the test, but to help them do better in school and in life as well.

East Gadsden High School hosted an FCAT Explosion during the month of January, an idea brought forth during a Parent Teacher Association meeting at the school.

• First Baptist Church in Quincy has scheduled a Lay Renewal Weekend for Feb. 27 - March 1. All groups will be led by a christian lay team from across north Florida. For more information, call the church office at 627-9688.

• Church services at Mt. Pilgrim Primitive Baptist Church are held the first, second and fourth Sundays at 11 a.m., and at 8 a.m. on the third Sunday of each month. Church school begins at 9:45 a.m. each Sunday morning.

Helen Franks and Earnest Barkley Jr. of Gretna, along with Sharon Brinson Thomas and the late Ronnie Martin Thomas Sr. of Quincy, are pleased to announce the marriage of their children, Reshawn Barkley and Ronnie Martin Thomas Jr.

The bride is a graduate of Gadsden Couny schools and earned her bachelor's degree in business economics at FAMU and her master's at Mercer University in Atlanta. She is employed as a private wealth advisor with SunTrust Bank.

Helen B. Butler and the late Arthur Butler of Quincy, along with Vera W. Butler and the late Mitchell Canty Sr. of Bainbridge, Ga., are pleased to announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their children, Angela LaFaye Butler and Mitchell Canty Jr.

The bride-elect is employed by the Florida Department of Revenue and attended Tallahassee Community College. She is the granddaughter of Maggie B. Miller and the late E. Bryant of Bainbridge, and Freddie Butler and the late Laura Butler of Havana.

Birdie Kinard and the late Charles Kinard of Quincy, along with Billy Ray and Nettie Smith and Eleanor and Ed Legion of Bristol, are pleased to announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their children, Polly Kinard Adams and Billy F. Smith.

The bride-elect is employed in security at the Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee.

The groom-elect received his associate's degree in criminal justice at Tallahassee Community College and is employed as a deputy sheriff with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office in Marianna.

Michele Campbell and the late Angelo Rooks of Quincy, along with Calvin and Charlotte Stephens and the late Arlie Knight Sr., are pleased to announce the marriage of their children, Annekquah Campbell and Arlie Knight Jr.

The bride is a 2001 graduate of James A. Shanks, and is employed as a legal assistant.

The groom is also a graduate of James A. Shanks, and is employed as a laborer.

The couple was married Jan. 25 at New Jordan Missionary Baptist Church, and will make their home in Quincy.

An FCAT pep rally will be held Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. at Mt. Hosea MB Church in the Robertsville Community in Quincy. After the opening ceremony, there will be a victory march to the park, where there will be entertainment, the East Gadsden High School Band, George W. Munroe JROTC and cheerleaders, St. John Elementary cheerleaders, free food and games. The event is sponsored by the Circle of Life Outreach, Florida KidCare, Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office, Gadsden County schools, Gadsden County Abstinence 2009 and Mt. Hosea.

At tax time a lot of businesses see a marked increase in business. Big Bend Tattoo, on East Washington Street, is no exception.

"Business has been really good," said Brandon Barkley, one of three tattoo artists who practice the art of tattooing at the Quincy shop. From butterflies to dragons, it's all a matter personal taste when it comes to what people want tattooed on their bodies.

Tattooing is a method of decorating the skin by inserting colored inks under the surface. The skin is punctured with a sharp instrument, usually an electric needle.

Tough economic times have caused a lot of people to tighten their belts, look for ways to save money or seek ways to make more money. When gas prices went sky high and real estate hit rock bottom, Gay Steffen, owner of Shopper Express and Printing in Quincy, looked inward.

Steffen, a licensed real estate agent, said she saw trouble coming in the real estate market about three years ago. Her husband, Marvin Steffen, was operations manager at Quincy Farms for 28 years, was also seeing signs of a downturn in that business.

• First Baptist Church in Quincy holds Sunday School each week at 9:45 a.m., followed by worship at 10:55. Sunday evening worship begins at 6 p.m. Sunday morning worship services are broadcast on Sunday events at 6 p.m. on 93.3 FM.

The church has scheduled a Lay Renewal Weekend for Feb. 27 - March 1. All groups will be led by a christian lay team from across north Florida. For more information, call the church office at 627-9688.

Curtis E. and Maxine Robinson and the late Mary F. Robinson, along with Lillie D. Stokes, are pleased to announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their children, Crystal E. Robinson and Antonio C. Griffin Sr.

The bride-elect is a graduate of Amos P. Godby High School and is employed with Capital City Youth Services.

The groom-elect is a graduate of Havana Northside High School and is self-employed as a barber at FADE Professional Barbershop.

• First Baptist Church in Quincy holds Sunday School each week at 9:45 a.m., followed by worship at 10:55. Sunday evening worship begins at 6 p.m. Sunday morning worship services are broadcast on Sunday events at 6 p.m. on 93.3 FM.

The church has scheduled a Lay Renewal Weekend for Feb. 27 - March 1. All groups will be led by a christian lay team from across north Florida. For more information, call the church office at 627-9688.